Acute sinusitis, also known as also called acute rhinosinusitis, causes the cavities around your nasal passages to become inflamed and swollen. Swelling can cause interference with drainage, a build up of mucus, and eventually infection.
If this is not dealt with quickly, the lining of the sinuses get inflamed and further obstruct the drainage pathways, resulting in a chronic sinus infection. Polyps usually occur as a result of the chronic infection and add to the sinus and nasal obstruction.
Computer Assisted Sinus Surgery
Computer assisted sinus surgery is a modern, minimally invasive procedure that avoids external incisions and has helped revolutionize the management of sinus disease. The procedure makes use of an image guidance system that is accurate to within less than 1.0 mm and has the ability to track an instrument in real time within the confines of a surgical field.
Since the sinuses are located in a highly confined area between the eyes and beneath the brain, this technology ensures that complications are avoided and a complete surgery is allowed. This results in a significant improvement in the overall cure rate. The computer assisted procedure used at False Creek Surgical Centre for revision and primary sinus surgery has an overall cure rate of greater than 95%.
What to Expect
During this surgery, your surgeon will carefully insert an endoscope through the nose into the sinuses. Images from the endoscope allow a surgeon to precisely navigate the affected areas of the nose and sinuses while leaving healthy areas untouched.
The surgeon also uses the InstaTrak™ navigation system, a specialized three-dimensional, computer-enhanced visualization system, which provides the surgeon with a real-time display of a surgical instrument’s location and trajectory overlain on the patient’s CT scan for extremely precise control.
Your surgeon can then perform biopsies, clear the sinuses, and remove abnormal growths by using special tools that slide through the endoscope. Using this technique, skull base and sinus tumours can also be removed without making an incision on the face. Once the procedure is finished your surgeon will gently remove the endoscope.
The total procedure take about an hour and a half and you will be able to return home the same day.
Recovery
Computer assisted sinus surgery require much less recovery time than an open surgery technique. You will usually be able to return to work within a week of surgery and full recovery takes less than six weeks.
Your Surgeon
Dr. Amin Javer, an Otolaryngologist and member of the False Creek Healthcare surgical team. Dr. Javer is the only surgeon in Western Canada with fellowship-certified training in computer assisted sinus surgery.
Next Steps
If you are ready to discuss your surgery needs with our board certified surgeons, request a consultation today. During your consultation your patient care adviser will discuss:
- Your medical history
- Pre and post-operative care
- Potential risks and complications
Sinusitis FAQ
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
Facial congestion (pressure), nasal obstruction, loss of smell, chronic cough, nasal discharge, bad smell coming from nose, bad breath, post-nasal drip down the throat, fever, headaches, dental, ear pain, disturbed sleep, fatigue, and or muscle joint pain.
What causes sinusitis?
Viruses, allergens, irritants like smoke, air pollution, solvents dust or drugs such as cocaine can cause sinusitis. Other causes are malformations of the nose such as a deviated septum or physical injuries such as a broken nose.
14 Comments
Cost for the balloon sinuplasty please, and wait times to have done?
I’m looking for an approximate cost for the balloon sinuplasty and a wait time.
Do you do laser nasal polyp removal? If so, please let me know.
How is the straightening of the nasal septum done?
i have been having colds and antibiotics over the last year and a bit my doctor says its rhinitis i disagree however 25 years ago my mom had a tumour in her throat the size of a 50 cent piece when they discovered it and it almost killed her from phneumonia and weight loss and now i am experienceing this horror my self i need advice on who to see and how to get action i dont have money so i have to rely on the useless doctors to hand out pills and do nothing but watch me suffer …..a year ago i had a coughing gaging fit and a blood buble came out it was the size of a kidney bean i chocked it up after wards the symptoms cleared for a while then came back i went on anti biotics and now it feels like the blood sac it was wrapped in is hanging in my throat dangling skin flap or something and when i swallow or breathe repeadatively it sometimes blocks my breathing as well when i drink tea it closes off my throat coffee as well but not as bad i have a cortical steroid wich allows me to function but things are getting worse daily ….do i need x rays to prove this or a sonagram kinda deal or what do i need a refferal from my doctor or any doctor and what are we talking for c osts cause i need action not delays .i have quit smoking and do not do hard drugs i am allergic to ciggarette smoke pollen and dust not serious alergies …..my sysmptoms started in the winter when there are no allergens that normally bother me my sinuses clear a bit when i quit smoking but like i said it feels like a hanging skin flap in my throat …..when i drink tea it feels like it closes my throat off .regular black tea or orange pekoe .i had headaches head pressures ear aches jaw aches nasal congestion and mucas build up in the throat as well as when it comes out the nose its clear yellow brown and green very rarely green .as we3ll i have a gross smell in my nose daily and cannot smell anything else
I’ve had a couple of sinus operations done approximately 20 years ago. I’ve had bouts of sinusitis every year that would clear up when treated with antiobiotics. This last August the case of sinusitis was different than all the others. This one immediately went into the frontal area and the cavities between my eyes. I suffer from headaches every day. I’ve had three different kinds of antiobitics and the headaches don’t clear up though I have next-to-no nasal discharge. My x-ray showed that I have acute sinusitis which was no news to me. I’m scheduled for a CT scan in April 2012 and I know it will probably take a long time before I am actually scheduled for surgery again.
Could you please tell me what the cost of the surgery would be and if it would include the CT scan as well? Also, please advise as to the length of time I would have to wait for surgery, if needed. Thank you.
I have been told I need to have sinus surgery.Ialso have a deviated septum. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH THIS WOULD COST. My wait time will be 12 – 14 months, much too long. Hope to hear from you, thank-you erika
I am a 50 year old female. I have had acute sinusitus for the past 20+ years. It has gotten much worse in the last couple of years and is now a chronic condition. I am getting sinus infections that require antibiotics every couple of months. I have been very sick since February. It started out as a cold, then a sinus infection (usual for me), but then secondary infections began, and I have had bronchitis and an ear infection along with the sinus issues. Since February, I have been on 5 rounds of antibiotics to try to clear everything up. The bacteria in my nose seems to have become drug resistant to the azithromycin family, and I have recently had treatment with Avelox and prednisone. I am physically and emotionally drained.
I am scheduled to see an ENT specialist in Kamloops this Friday. My concern is the long waiting list there is in my hometown to get any sinus surgery done (if this is what is required and I suspect it is). If I do need surgery, I may opt to go the private route because I really can’t take another 2 or 3 years the way I have been feeling lately.
How does one go about getting a refferral for your clinic to see Dr. Javar? How long would it take to see him and what is the approximate cost of sinus surgery?
Thanks for getting back to me on this.
I have surgery on my nose to rebuild my nasal passages from a botched surgery I had when I was 18.. I’m now 40 and got tired of living with the constant discharge and pain I was having. As it turned out, my Dr. took a tissue sample and it came back from the lab as a staph infection. I think I’ve had these infections all my life. I am now on 6 weeks worth of antibiotics to try to rid my body of this infection. I am wondering if the long term effects of having the chronic problem would have something to do with the other health issues I’ve developed over the years such as aching joints, chronics headaches, extreme fatigue etc. And would this infection just “show up” in blood work being done even if they weren’t testing for it? Im just trying to figure out how this could have gone on so long without someone suggesting the staph bacteria was my problem??
My dad had sinus surgery done at your facility years ago and I might have to as well I’m wondering roughly how much would it cost roughly for general non complicated endoscopic sinus surgery? I’m a 27 year old male and have suffererd from chronic sinunitis since I was 8 years old do not have alot of money My sinus problems are ruining my life.
I have had sinus problems all my life what do you recommend
Hi just asking questions sinus problems all my life do not have full breathing through nose play sports all my life still do 45 years old and usually when sinus act up seem to have soar throat try to clear sinus by bring up through throat doesnt seem to work should ask family doctor to send me to ear nose throat specialist what do you think is ther any way i can find out if i am allergic to any thing seems like when trying to clear throat also sneezing live in halifax nova scotia.
Dr. Javer is an excellent and qualified rhinologist, but he is not the only sinus surgeon fellowship trained in CASS in Vancouver, let alone Western Canada.
I just have to reply to this.
Dr. Amin Javer is not just an excellent and qualified ENT, he actually is the most experienced, trained, compassionate, caring, empathetic, dedicated, diligent and kind ENT in Canada.
He is the ONLY one that has the expertise with AFS (allergic fungal sinusitis) across the country and beyond. Any of his fellows that he trained over the years would tell you that, he has the knowledge and finesse that has given him a special recognition around the world.
But that alone would not make him the greatest doctors of all times in my eyes, it is the combination of his experience/expertise and his caring personality, he is one of a kind.
He saved my life and he has my utmost respect in every way, from the patients point of view as well as a medical point of view.
He goes above and beyond his duty to care for his patients, and he does not have one fibre of greediness in his body.
The majority of Dr. Javer’s patients are “fix ups” from other ENT’s across Canada. He has patients flying in from across the country to see him on a regular basis.
I think that alone gives you an idea how unique and best trained he is in his field, and NO, there is no other ENT in Western Canada with his knowledge and expertise, period.
Just having the equipment to carry out a CASS does not give them the so needed training behind it.
Be careful when choosing an ENT or any other doctor for that matter, have your doctor checked out just like you have your home inspected.